The management no longer depends upon the talents or skills of its workers---those things are built into the operating systems and machines. Jobs that have been "deskilled" can be filled cheaply. The need to retain any individual worker is greatly reduced by the ease with which he or she can be replaced. Eric Schlosser
About This Quote

This quote is a warning that machines and the technologies that go with them will replace people. The goal of management is to make the process of replacing people easier so they can save time and money. While it’s true that managers no longer need to rely on the skills or talents of their workers, the truth is that they still do need people. If they didn't, they wouldn't have a job.

Machines are great at doing tasks that require a set of permanent characteristics, but not so great at doing things that require change or variation. In addition, the idea that managers no longer need people to hold them accountable isn't quite accurate either. They still have to be held accountable for their actions, just as people have to be held accountable for their actions.

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  1. The management no longer depends upon the talents or skills of its workers---those things are built into the operating systems and machines. Jobs that have been "deskilled" can be filled cheaply. The need to retain any individual worker is greatly reduced by the ease with...
  2. Lowe has broken from the Christianity of his parents, a faith that now seems hopelessly out of date. The meek shall no longer inherit the earth; the go-getters will get it and everything that goes with it. The Christ who went among the poor, the...
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  4. Like Cheyenne Mountain, today's fast good conceals remarkable technological advances behind an ordinary-looking façade.
  5. Fast food is popular because it's convenient, it's cheap, and it tastes good. But the real cost of eating fast food never appears on the menu.
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